Flask manipulating and mold forming apparatus



Nov. 19, 1963 L. l.. JOHNSTON 3,110,940

FLASK MANIPULATING AND MOLD FORMING APPARATUS l Filed June 19, 1961 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l T i v /NVENTOR L 1 OVAL L. JOHNSTON lb #1,5 @44% 1M/TM mangi Nov. 19, 1963 L. 1 JOHNSTON 3,110,940

FLAsx MANIPULATING AND MoLD FORMING APPARATUS Filed June 19, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fis, 5

s4 /NVENTOR 2 OVAL L. JOHNSTON 30 aww United States Patent 3,110,940 FLASK MANIPULATING AND MOLD FORMING APPARATUS Loyal L. Johnston, Zelienopie, Pa., assignor to Herman Pneumatic Machine Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed June 19, 1961, Ser. No. 118,000 5 Claims. (Cl. 22-17) This invention relates to llask manipulating and mold forming apparatus. It relates more particularly to apparatus for flask manipulation and mold formation especially adapted for the formation of foundry molds and particularly foundry molds of compacted finely divided mold forming material for the centrifugal casting of elongated hollow articles such as pipe.

In my copending applications Serial Nos. 118,001 and 118,002, filed of even date herevsdth, I Ihave disclosed cerl'tain methods of land apparatus for formi-ng foundry molds adapted for the centrifugal casting of elongated hollow articles. More particularly, as they relate to the present invention, those applications disclose apparatus for Iforming a foundry mold comprising an elongated flask having openings at both ends, means for mounting the ilask with its longitudinal dimension generally vertical, an elongated fformer initially disposed with its lon-gitud-inal dimension generally parallel to the longitudinal dimension of the llask, adjacent the lower portion of the ilask and in position to move upwardly through the flask When the fiask is mounted in the mounting means and means for moving the former upwardly through the llask to for-m a cavity extending longitudinally `of the flask in finely divided mold forming material in the flask and rcompact the mold forming material to form a mold for casting. Such apparatus has important advantages, primar-ily in economy in relation to apparatus such as that disclosed in my Patents Nos. 2,249,900 and 2,559,161.

I have found that to obtain optimum results in use of the apparatus disclosed in my said copending applications it is important to insure rapid and accurate positioning of the flasks relatively to the formers and to expeditiously manipulate the flasks so as to avoid lost time between forming operations. The flasks are large and heavy and it is not feasible in elllcient operation to attempt to handle or manipulate the flasks by hand or by conventional means such as an overhead crane. I provide lfor receiving the llasks either singly or in groups when the flasks are oriented with their longitudinal dimensions disposed gener-ally horizontal, turning the llasks to aposition in which the longitudinal d-imension of each ilask is :generally vertical and thellask is disposed genera'lly .above a former and accurately positioning the flasks relatively to the formers and clamping the flasks in place for the mold fonming operation. After complet-ion of the mold forming operation the flasks are returned to their original .position with -their longitudinal dimensions -gen- Verally horizontal and are quickly moved away to make room for other flasks `for repetition of the cycle. llasks will -normally be of generally cylindrical shape vand The when they are of that shape I preferably roll them to and from the mold forming station. When a plurality of asks are handled in a group I provide for insuring proper spacing between the flasks as they are turned into position with their longitudinal dimensions generally vertical above the formers.

I provide Iilasl: manipulating and molfd forming apparatus comprising a generally upright former, an elongated llask, positioning means disposed generally at one side of the flask when the flask is generally upright and disposed generally above the former, means engaging the ilask at the side thereof remote from the positioning means to press the ilask against the positioning means "ice and thereby predeterminedly position the ask relatively to the former and means for moving the former upwardly through finely divided mold forming material in the flask and thereby forming in the mold forming kmaterial an elongated cavity longitudinally of the ask and compacting the mold forming material to form a mold for casting. I preferably employ V block means as the positioning means and provide piston and cylinder means at the side of the ilask remote from the V block means arranged so that the piston means when projected engages the ilask and presses the llask against whereby to predeterminedly position to the former.

l provide a cradle for holding an elongated llask, the cradle being mounted for movement from a position in which an elongated llask carried thereby has its longitudinal dimension generally horizontal to a position in which the ilask has its longitudinal dimension generally vertical with the llask `disposed generally above the former. I provide guide means for guiding the flask into the cradle when the cradle is in the ilrst mentioned position. I preferably also provide means for raising and lowering the cradle so that when the cradle is in the second mentioned position the flask can, be set down in position generally above the former upon lowering of the cradle.

More specifically, the cradle preferably has a guideway along which the ask is guidedly advanced to a predetermined position in the cradle when the cradle is in the position rst above mentioned and also means for advancing the llask along the -guideway to said predetermined position lin the cradle and stopping the ilask at said predetermined position. The guideway may be in the form of a track along which the flask is rolled to the predetermined position in the cradle, and a helical impeller may be provided for rolling the flask along the track to the predetermined position in the cradle and stopping the flask at the predetermined position.

It is desirable for optimum elllciency and economy of operation to provide a plurality of `generally upright formers disposed side by side together with a cradle for holding a plurality of elongated ilasks in side by side relationship, the cradle bing mounted for rnovenrent from a position in which elongated llasks carried thereby have their longitudinal dimensions generally horizontal to a position in which the ilasks have their longitudinal dimensions generally vertical with the respective ilasks disposed genenallyvabove the respective formers, the cradle having a guideway along which the flasks are guidedly advanced to predetermined spaced `apartpositions in the cradle when the cradle is in the rst mentioned position and also having means for ladvancing the `ilasks in spaced apart relationship along the guideway to said predetermined positions in the cradle, maintaining the llasks predeterminedly spaced apart and stopping the flasks at said predetermined positions. Means are provided for moving the formers upwardly through finely divided mold forming material lin the flasks when the flasks are respectively disposed generally 4above the respective formers with the longitudinal dimensions of the ilasks generally vertical and thereby forming in the mold forming material in the flasks elongated cavities longitudinally of the flasks Vand compact-ing the mold forming material to form molds for casting.

In my preferred apparatus a base is provided which general-ly surrounds the former, the elongated flask being adapted to be positioned generally upright on the base generally above the former. A headis preferably provided which is movable between operative position in juxtaposition to lthe top of the flask When the flask is so positioned and inoperative position relatively remote from the top of the flask, the head having means operabie when the head is in operative position to engage the top of the the flask relatively the V block means flask to clamp the flask to the base. The head is preferably mounted for pivotal movement be-tween its operative and inoperative positions and is desirably provided with means projectable therefrom when the head is in operative position to engage the top of a flask to clamp the flask to the base.

First positioning means may `be carried by the base at one side thereof, the head being movable between operative position in juxtaposition tothe top of the flask when the flask is positioned generally upright on the base generally Iabove the former and inoperative position relatively .remote from the top of 'the iiask and having second positioning means disposed generally above the first positioning means when the head is in operative position. Means are pro-vided engaging the flask at the side thereof remote from the first and second positioning means 'to press the flask against lthe rst and second positioning means and thereby predeterminedly position the ask relatively to the former. The head may also have means operable when the head is in operative position and the flask is predeterminedly positioned atop the base to engage the top of the flask to clamp the flask to the base.

Other details, objects and advantages of the invention will :become apparent as the following description of a present preferred embodiment thereof proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings 1 have shown a present preferred embodiment of the invention in which FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic elevational view of flask manipulating and mol-d forming apparatus;

FIGURE 2 is `an elevation-al View looking toward the left in FIGURE 1 yat the tias-k holding cradle and associated mechanism, the other elements of the apparatus being omitted for clarity of showing of the ask holding cradle and associated mechanism;

FIGURE 3 is ya View similar to FIGURE l showing the elements in a different operative position; and

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged detail cross-sectional view taken `on the line IV-IV of FIGURE 3.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the foundry fioor is designated generally by reference numeral 2 and .contains a pit 3 having a .main portion 3a and a downward extension 3b of smaller size than the main portion 3a. Two cylinders 4 are mounted in the pit in spaced apart relation with Itheir axes vertical. In FIGURES 1 land 3 only one `of the cylinders appears as the other is directly behind the one shown. A piston 5 operates in each cylinder 4. Each piston 5 is connected With a former 6 (only one former being shown for the reason above explained) which is disposed generally upright or vertically, each former having a tapered nose 7 and being hollow tto receive and hence remove from a flask -a portion of the finely divided mold form-ing material therein during the mold forming step as will be presently described. rlhe former shown is like those of FIGURES 3 and 5 of my said copending applications with an lopen mouth 8 at the upper extremity of the tapered nose 7 'and lateral openings 9 farther down to allow the mold forming material removed from the iiask `by the for-mer to be discharged from the former. Such mold forming material may be caught by an inclined trough diagrammatically indicated at 10 and delivered to a conveyor idiagramm-atically indicated at 11. The particular former shown in the drawings vof the present application may be replaced by any of the other formers shown in the drawings tof my said copending applications as the present invention is not concerned -with which specific form of former is employed.

Mounted upon a transverse supporting structure 12 in the pit 3 lare ttwo bases 13 through which the respective fonmers 6 are adapted to move and which preferably serve as guides for the formers. The base 13v is sho-wn only diagrammatically and may be .of any of the forms shown in my said copending applications. Each base '13 carries at its top at one side first positioning means 14 in the form of a V block Whose `function is to participate in s the accurate positioning or aligning of a iiask with the corresponding lformer 6.

Mounted upon the foundry floor 12 is a pedestal 15 having van upright guideway 16 for guiding for vertical movement a carrier 17 having wheels or rollers 18 engaging the guideway 16 at opposite sides as shown in FIGURES l, 2 and 3. A cylinder 19 (omitted from FIGURE 2 for clarity of showing tof the elements appearing in that figure) is connected with the pedestal 15 at 20. A piston 21 operates in the cylinder 19 and has a piston rod 22 which passes ou-t of ythe top of the cylinder 19 through suitable packing and is connected with the carrier l17 at 23. Fluid is admitted to the cylinder 119* above or below the piston 2'1 whereby the carrier 17 may be raised and lowered at will.

The carrier 17 has a horizontally projecting portion 17a in which is journaled a shaft 24 ywhich carries a pinion (not shown) with which meshes Ia rack (not shown) disposed in a casing 25 and operated by a piston in a cylinder 26. Hence the rack and pinion operated by liuid under pressure .admitted to the cylinder 26 can turn the shaft 24 about its axis.

Fixed to the shaft 24 is a cradle 27 within which are mounted rails 28 adapted to support two tiasks 29'. Each iiask is provided externally with iianged steel tires 36 to enable the flask to roll upon the rails 2S. At one step in the cycle the rails 28 will be disposed substantially in a horizontal plane as shown in FIGURE l and at such a level as to receive iiasks from suitable delivery means such as other rails disposed substantially end to end with ythe rails 28. Mounted in the cradle 27 is a shaft 31 carrying a helical impeller 32 which cooperates with the flasks 29 as shown in FIGURE 2. r[he shaft 31 is driven by any suitable means (not shown) such as a motor mounted on the cradle which causes the helical impeller 32 to turn about the axis of the shaft. When fiasks are supported on the rails l28 of lthe cradle 27 .they intersect the helical impeller 32 as shown in FIGURE 2 and turning of the shaft 31 causes the helical impeller through its engagement with the flasks to advance the flasks along the rails 23 while at the same time maintaining them in predetermined spaced apart relationship. When the iiasks reach predetermined positions in the cradle 27 the shaft 31 is stopped which in turn stops the flasks in predetermined spaced apart relationship and holds .them in position.

The flasks are initially received by the cradle being rolled thereonto upon the rails by the helical impeller 32 as above described, and when the fiasks have reached predetermined positions upon the rails the shaft 31 is stopped, the carrier -17 is raised and the shaft 24 carrying the cradle 27 is turned through approximately in the clockwise direction from the position shown in FIGURE 1 in which the longitudinal dimensions of the fiasks are generally horizontal to a position in which the longitudinal dimensions of the flasks are generally upright or vertical. When the cradle has reached the second mentioned position it may be lowered to set down the iiasks on the bases 13, the predetermined positioning of the flasks being such that their respective axes are in the same vertical planes with the respective axes of the formers 6. The asks are held against falling out of the cradle when the cradle is turned to the second mentioned position by screws 33 having stop members 34 at their ends. If a flask tends to fall out it is engaged by the corresponding stop member 34 and maintained in place.

Pivoted at 3S to a supporting structure 36 is a head 37 carrying at its under surface second postiioning means 38 in the lform of two V blocks like the V blocks 14 and arranged so that when the head 37 is in operative position as shown in FIGURE 3 the respective V blocks 38 will be directly above the respective V blocks 14 and correspondingly positioned. The head 37 is turned about the axis of the pivot 35 by a piston in a cylinder 39 piv- 27 by 28, being controlled otally carried by the supporting structure 35 at 40. When the head 37 is turned down to operative position as shown in FIGURE 3 the respective sets of V blocks 14 and 38 are vertically aligned.

Each flask 29 has a steel band 41 applied to it externally adjacent but slightly spaced from each end as shown. The bands 41 are adapted to cooperate with the V blocks 14 and 38 to predeterminedly and accurately align or position the flasks relatively t0 the formers `6. When the flasks are set down on the bases 13 and the head 36 has been moved to operative position as shown in FIGURE 3 each flask is pressed toward the right viewing FIGURE 3 by a piston 42 in a cylinder 43 carried by the cradle Z7. This properly positions the flasks relatively to the formers. Thereupon pistons 44 operating in cylinders 45 in the head 37 are moved ydownwardly to clamp the flasks in place on the bases 13. The pistons 44 may carry patterns 46 for forming pipe hubs or spigots as desired. Likewise patterns 46 may be mounted upon the bases 13.

At the beginning of a cycle with the carrier `17 in its lowered position and the cradle 27 in the position of FIGURE l two empty flasks 29 are rolled into the cradle upon the rails 218, the movement of the flasks within the cradle being controlled by the helical impeller 32. As above stated when the flasks have reached predetermined positions in the cradle, i.e., positions with their respective axes in the same vertical planes as the respective axes of the formers `6, the shaft 31 carrying the helical impeller 3-2 is stopped. The carrier 17 is raised and the cradle 27 is turned 90 clockwise about the axis of the shaft 24 to position the flasks `29 with their longitudinal dimensions upright and in substantial vertical alignment with the respective formers 6. Thereupon the carrier 17 is moved downwardly setting down the flasks 29' upon the bases 13.

When the flasks have been thus set down the piston in the cylinder 39 is operated to turn the head 37 in the counter-clockwise direction about the axis of the pivot 35 viewing FIGURES 1 and 3 until the head 37 is in the position of FIGURE 3. With the head in that position the respective V blocks 38 are directly `above the respective V blocks 14. At that time the pistons 42 are moved toward the right viewing FIGURE 3 to press the flasks 29 against .the V blocks 14 and 38. The bands 41 of the flasks 29 cooperate with the V blocks to accurately position the flasks relatively to the for-mers 6r. The bands 41 may be machined for accuracy. They are, as shown, slightly removed from the ends of the flasks so that any object striking the end of a flask will not damage the band 41 at that end although the portion of the body of the flask projecting beyond the band may be somewhat deformed. Such deformation of the projecting portion of the flask body does not interfere with accurate positioning of the flasks by the pistons 42 and the V blocks 14 and 38 cooperating with the bands 41.

When the flasks have been thus positioned the pistons 44 are moved downwardly to clamp the flasks tightly in position upon the bases 13 and to project the patterns 46 into the upper ends of the flasks. The pistons 44 are formed with openings 47 therethrough from top to bottom and when the flasks have been positioned and clamped in place measured quantities of finely divided mold forming material such as specially prepared foundry sand are introduced into the respective flasks through the openings 47 in the respective pistons 44.

Alternatively, the measured quantities of finely divided mold forming material may be intro-duced into the flasks 29 when the pistons 44 are in their uppermost positions and indeed preferably when the head 37 is in the position of FIGURE 1 so that direct access may be had to the flasks to introduce the mold forming material directly into the upper ends of the flasks instead of through the openings 47.

Thereupon fluid under pressure is admitted beneath the pistons in the cylinders 4 raising the formers 6 so that they are forced through the mold forming material in the flasks, thereby forming in the mold forming material elongated cavities longitudinally of the flasks and compacting the mold forming material to form molds for casting. The transverse dimension of the openings 47 in the pistons 44 is such that when the cylindrical portions of the formers 6 enter such openings the formers are guided thereby as well as by the bases 13. When the cylindrical portions of the formers have entered theopenings 47 the mold for-ming material-is completely enclosed within the flasks and thereupon auxiliary compacting means as disclosed in my said copending applications may if desired be employed to additionally compact the mold forming material in the flasks.

After the molds have thus been formed in the flasks 29 the formers 6 and the auxiliary compacting means if used, are retracted downwardly, the pistons 44 are retracted upwardly, the head 37 is moved to its inoperative position as shown in FIGURE 1, the carrier 17 is raised, the cradle 27 is turned back to the position of FIGURE l, the carrier 17 is lowered and the flasks 29 with the formed molds therein yare rolled out of the cradle by operation of the shaft 31 carrying the helical impeller '32, leaving the cradle empty for the reception of two empty flasks to have molds formed therein in the succeeding cycle of operation.

Features of the method herein disclosed are claimed in my copending application Serial No. 117,999, filed of even date herewith.

While I have shown and described a present preferred embodiment of the invention it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto but may be otherwise variously embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

l. Flask manipulating and mold forming apparatus comprising a substantially upright former, positioning means for receiving an elongated flask to position the flask substantially on end and coaxial with the former, the positioning means being disposed at a level above the top of the former, a cradle separate from the positioning means for holding a flask, the cradle being mounted for movement from a position in which a flask carried Vthereby lies on its side to a position in which the flask is disposed substantially on end at a level above the top of the former and in juxtaposition to the positioning means, the cradle having a track along which the flask is rolled to a predetermined location in the cradle when the cradle is in the first mentioned position and also having a helical impeller for rolling the flask along the track to said predetermined location in the cradle and stopping the flask at said predetermined location, and means for moving the former upwardly through finely divided mold forming material in the flask and thereby forming in the mold forming material an elongated cavity longitudinally of the flask and compacting the mold forming material to form a mold for casting.

2. Flask manipulating and mold forming apparatus comprising a plurality of substantially upright formers disposed side by side, positioning means for receiving elongated flasks to position the flasks substantially on end and respectively coaxial with the formers, the positioning means being disposed at a level above the tops of the formers, a cradle separate from the positioning means for holding a plurality of flasks in side by side relationship, the cradle being mounted for movement from a position in which flasks carried thereby lie on their sides to a position in which the flasks are disposed substantially on end at a level above the tops of the formers and in juxtaposition to the positioning means, the cradle having a track along which the flasks are rolled to predetermined spaced apart locations in the cradle when the cradle is inthe first mentioned position and also having a helical impeller for rolling the flasks in spaced apart relationship along the track to said predetermined locations in the cradle, maintaining the flasks predeterminedly spaced apart and stopping the flasks at said predetermined locations, and means for moving the formers upwardly through linely divided mold forming material in the iiasks and thereby forming in the mold forming material in the asks elongated cavities longitudinally of the ilasks and compacting the mold forming material to form molds for casting.

3. Flask manipulating and mold forming apparatus comprising a substantially upright former, a base substantially surrounding the former upon which an elongated flask is adapted to be set in substantially upright position coaxial with and above the former, a head mounted for pivotal movement between operative position -in juxtaposition to the top of the flask when the flask is thus set atop the base and inoperative position relatively remote Ifrom the top of the ask, means for pivotally moving the head between said operative and inoperative positions, the head having means projectable therefrom when the head is in said operative position to engage the top of the flask to clamp the ask to the base, and means for moving the formerupwardly through finely divided mold fonming material in the flask and thereby forming in the mold lforming material an elongated cavity longitudinally of the ask and compacting the mold forming material to form a mold `for casting.

4. `Flask manipulating and mold forming apparatus comprising a substantially upright former, a base substantially surrounding the former upon which an elongated flask is adapted to be set in substantially upright position coaxial with and above the former, first positioning means carried by fthe base at one side thereof, a head movable between Voperative position in juxtaposition to the top of the ask when the tiask is thus set atop the base and inoperative position relatively remote from the top of the flask, the head having second positioning means disposed above the irst positioning means when the head is in said operative position, means engaging the ask at the side thereof remote from the irst and second positioning means to press the ask against the rst and second positioning means and thereby position the flask coaxial with the former as alforesaid, the head also having means operable when the head is in said yoperative posi-tion to engage the top of the flask to clamp the flask to the base,

and means for moving the former upwardly through tinely divided mold forming material in the flask and there'- by forming in the mold forming material an elongated cavity longitudinally of the flask and compacting the mold forming material to form a mold for casting.

5. Flask manipulating and mold forming apparatus `comprising a stationarily mounted base having a vertical passage therethrough, a substantially upright iformer, means for guiding the former tfor substantially vertical movement through said passage, a cradle having flask holding means, means for moving the cradle between a first position in which a flask held thereby has its axis substantially horizontal and a second position in which such flask stands on end on the stationarily mounted base coaxially with the former, means engaging the top of the flask for holding the iiask down on the base, means for iilling the empty flask with inely divided mold forming material so that the ask contains a continuous uninterrupted substantially cylindrical mass of finely divided mold forming material and means Afor moving the former upwardly through the flask standing atop the stationarily mounted base to pierce the uninterrupted substantially cylindrical mass of finely divided mold forming material in the flask while such mold [forming material is acted on by gravity uniformly about the tlask whereby to form in the iiask a hollow mold of finely divided mold forming material of uniform density at corresponding points in all directions from the axis lof the iiask, whereafter the cradle is moved from the second position to the rst position .to shift the flask with the mold formed therein to substantially the initial position of the flask.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 181,368 Smith Aug. 22, 1876 878,064 Herbert Feb. 4, 1908 2,631,342 Romine Mar. 17, 1953 2,875,482 Hamilton et al Mar. 3, 1959 2,879,563 Ewing Mar. 31, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 606,534 Great Britain Aug. 16, 1948 

1. FLASK MANIPULATING AND MOLD FORMING APPARATUS COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY UPRIGHT FORMER, POSITIONING MEANS FOR RECEIVING AN ELONGATED FLASK TO POSITION THE FLASK SUBSTANTIALLY ON END AND COAXIAL WITH THE FORMER, THE POSITIONING MEANS BEING DISPOSED AT A LEVEL ABOVE THE TOP OF THE FORMER, A CRADLE SEPARATE FROM THE POSITIONING MEANS FOR HOLDING A FLASK, THE CRADLE BEING MOUNTED FOR MOVEMENT FROM A POSITION IN WHICH A FLASK CARRIED THEREBY LIES ON ITS SIDE TO A POSITION IN WHICH THE FLASK IS DISPOSED SUBSTANTIALLY ON END AT A LEVEL ABOVE THE TOP OF THE FORMER AND IN JUXTAPOSITION TO THE POSITIONING MEANS, THE CRADLE HAVING A TRACK ALONG WHICH THE FLASK IS ROLLED TO A PREDETERMINED LOCATION IN THE CRADLE WHEN THE CRADLE IS IN THE FIRST MENTIONED POSITION AND ALSO HAVING A HELICAL IMPELLER FOR ROLLING THE FLASK ALONG THE TRACK TO SAID PREDETERMINED LOCATION IN THE CRADLE AND STOPPING THE FLASK AT SAID PREDETERMINED LOCATION, AND MEANS FOR MOVING THE FORMER UPWARDLY THROUGH FINELY DIVIDED MOLD FORMING MATERIAL IN THE FLASK AND THEREBY FORMING IN THE MOLD FORMING MATERIAL AN ELONGATED CAVITY LONGITUDINALLY OF THE FLASK AND COMPACTING THE MOLD FORMING MATERIAL TO FORM A MOLD FOR CASTING. 